Ooredoo nets 1 million customers in Myanmar

Doha, August 23, 2014

Qatar-based Ooredoo's mobile telecommunication network said it has broken through the one million customer milestone in its newest market of Myanmar, less than three weeks after going live with its services.

Since the launch of Ooredoo in Myanmar, the company has seen unprecedented demand for its mobile phone and internet services, with people queuing overnight to purchase a low-cost Ooredoo SIM, said the Qatari firm in its statement.

Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud Al Thani, the group chairman, revealed the significant achievement in a special ceremony in the capital Nay Pyi Taw, where he thanked the people of Myanmar for their warm welcome, and stressed the company’s commitment to serving the country.

The event was attended by a number of VIP guests, including U Myat Hein, Union Minister of Communications and Information Technology; Jaber Ali Al Dosari, Qatar Ambassador to Thailand and accredited to Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos; Aziz Al-Uthman Fakhroo, Ooredoo Group board member and chairman of Ooredoo Myanmar; Dr Nasser Marafih, Ooredoo Group CEO; U Than Htun Aung, the director of Posts and Telecommunications Department and Ross Cormack, CEO of Ooredoo Myanmar.

Demonstrating the potential for growth and strong appetite for data services in Myanmar, many customers are using mobile and accessing the internet for the first time, stated Sheikh Abdullah.

"Mobile communication enriches people’s lives. It connects job-seekers with new opportunities, unites families who are separated by geography, enables teachers to access learning resources, farmers to track market demand, and entrepreneurs to connect with new suppliers, which is why we have continuously pushed to enable people’s access to these life chances, he remarked.

According to him, Ooredoo has invested and installed the world’s first next-generation purely UMTS900 network throughout Myanmar, which will provide fast internet and is primed to enable a smooth transition to a 4G LTE network in the future.

U Myat Hein said: “Over the past few years, the Union Government and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology have worked hard to lay the foundations for the creation of a competitive telecommunications landscape that truly serves our people and we are closer than ever to achieving this.”

“This is truly a historic moment for our country, people, and the telecoms sector in Myanmar. My most heartfelt congratulations to the whole Ooredoo and Ooredoo Myanmar Limited team on your successful launch of Ooredoo service in Myanmar! And I am also glad to see you have kept your launch commitment,” he added.

Aziz Al-Uthman Fakhroo said this had been a challenging greenfield launch, where the Ooredoo team needed to counter a number of logistical and technological challenges to deliver a world-class network for the people.

"We have overcome these challenges with the help of local partners and communities, and have become the first international communications company to operate in Myanmar. We will continue to strive to offer the very best services for our customers," he added.

Speaking of the challenges faced during the development stage, Cormack praised the 1,000 employees of the Ooredoo Myanmar team, and stated that – in keeping with the company’s tradition of hiring local talent – 800 of these team members are Myanmar people.

"The response to our launch has been inspiring! This wonderful nation’s pent-up demand for mobile communication services has surpassed even our expectations, and as our reach expands across the country these opportunities will increase. This growth will enable more people to experience our life-enriching services and see the life changing opportunities technology can bring," stated Cormack.

At the close of the ceremony, Ooredoo officials highlighted that the network will rapidly extend to include 25 million people by the end of 2014, as the company brings the benefits of connectivity to the population as fast as is possible.-TradeArabia News Service